LPub3D

LPub3D is an Open Source WYSIWYG editing application for creating LEGO® style digital building instructions.

LPub3D output include instruction document, document pages, part list and export content.

PDF		Portable Document Format instruction document
PNG		Portable Network Graphics images, instruction document pages and POV-Ray rendered images
JPEG		Joint Photographic Experts Group instruction document pages
BMP		Bitmap instruction document pages
HTML		Hypertext Markup Language sortable graphic part list with element ID and online part lookup
BrickLink XML		Extensible Markup Language BrickLink part list
CSV		Comma-Separated Values plain text part list
POV		Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer (POV-Ray) photo-realistic scene files
OBJ		Wavefront Object files
STL		Stereolithography object files
3DS		Autodesk 3DStudio Max object files
DAE		COLLAborative Design Activity object files

LPub3D uses the LDraw standard and LEGO® Geometrical Equivalent Objects (LGEO) photo-realistic part libraries and reads the LDraw DAT, LDR and MPD model file formats. The LDraw libraries are not required to be preinstalled. Archive (.zip) library files for both official and unofficial LDraw parts are bundled with LPub3D. Follow the linked image below to acquire the LGEO photo-realistic part library.

LDraw		LDraw™ parts is an open standard library that allow users to create virtual models and scenes. Three LDraw part libraries are bundled with LPub3D. LDraw™ official and unofficial LEGO® part library. TENTE® unofficial LDraw part library created by José Alfonso Solera (Jasolo). VEX IQ® unofficial LDraw library created by Philippe Hurbain (Philo). LSynth bendable parts synthesis elements created by Kevin Clague and updated by Don Heyse (deeice).
LGEO		POV-Ray photo-realistic part library created by Lutz Uhlmann (El Lutzo), updated by Owen Burgoyne (C3POwen) and extended with STL object files by Damien Roux (Darats).

LPub3D Blender integration uses the LPub3D Blender LDraw Addon which imports LDraw™ models into Blender, exports models from Blender and renders imported models using the full range of Blender capabilities. LPub3D also provides “native” 3DViewer, POV scene file generation, including POV-Ray PNG image rendering using integrated modules based on LeoCAD and LDView. Additionally, LDView, LDGLite and POV-Ray 3rd-party stand-alone LDraw model renderers are bundled in each LPub3D distribution. All stand-alone renderers are console applications custom adapted to LPub3D for tight integration, optimum configurability and robust performance.

LeoCAD		LPub3D “native” renderer and 3D Viewer - performant, “true fade” rendering
Blender		Best in class, 3D computer graphics toolset for high quality photo-realistic renderings
LDGLite		fast image rendering ideal for proofing
LDView		high quality rendering plus POV scene file generation
POV-Ray		ray tracing renderer - photo-realistic, feature rich rendering

Screenshots

Compatibility

LPub3D runs on Debian, Red Hat and Arch derived Linux distros, macOS and Windows Operating Systems. LPub3D is also available as a Linux ‘no-install’, multi-platform AppImage and Snap or Flatpak ‘sandbox’ deployment. Builds are available for both x86 instruction set (32-bit and 64-bit) and Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) micorprocessors.

Downloads

	GitHub Releases - Linux, macOS and Windows Distributions
	Sourceforge Releases - Linux, macOS and Windows Distributions
	Open Build Service Releases - Linux distributions

Distributions

Click icon above to download and/or install distribution release.

Verify Windows Distribution Hash using PowerShell

The following steps are using LPub3D Windows release hosted on GitHub. These steps can be applied to any LPub3D release where a GPG signature file is available.

Get the hash file LPub3D-2.4.7.75.3551_20230905.exe.sha512
Open a PowerShell session
Add the package download path to $PkgUrl

Add the hash file sha512 hash to $PublishedHash.

$WebClient = [System.Net.WebClient]::new()
$PkgUrl = 'https://github.com/trevorsandy/lpub3d/releases/download/continuous/LPub3D-2.4.7.75.3551_20230905.exe'
$PublishedHash = 'f810fbe3394349486df4ef25675baad3963188b9a3e2ede56ca488a152de8028feab1ee3977ffbc052ca2cbfb36b21a5d2c99103f35d020b13408b46d6dff3f5'
$FileHash = Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA512 -InputStream ($WebClient.OpenRead($PkgUrl))
$FileHash.Hash -eq $PublishedHash

Cut and paste this code snippet into Powershell, a valid return value is True.

Verify GPG Signature using Bash Unix Shell

The following steps are using LPub3D AppImage release hosted on GitHub. These steps can be applied to any LPub3D release where a GPG signature file is available.

Get the GPG public key: pubring.auto
Get the release: LPub3D-2.4.7.75.3551_20230905-x86_64.AppImage
Get the hash file: LPub3D-2.4.7.75.3551_20230905-x86_64.AppImage.sha512
Get the GPG hash file signature: LPub3D-2.4.7.75.3551_20230905-x86_64.AppImage.sha512.sig
Ensure GPG is installed and configured: $> which gpg
Import the public key file into GPG: $> gpg --import pubring.auto
Verify the against its hash file: $> sha512sum -c LPub3D-2.4.7.75.3551_20230905-x86_64.AppImage.sha512
Verify the GPG hash file signature: $> gpg --verify LPub3D-2.4.7.75.3551_20230905-x86_64.AppImage.sha512.sig

Quick Links

License

LPub3D is available for free under the GNU Public License version 3.0 (GPLv3).

Disclaimers

LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this application.
TENTE® is a construction game owned by Educa-Borrás SA which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this application.
VEX IQ® is a trademarks or service mark of Innovation First International, Inc, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this application.

Documents

Tutorials

3rd-party tutorials:

Resources

LPub3D meta commands UDL for Notepad++ (zip download)

Features and Enhancements

MPD file imbedded images with !DATA meta command #722 (NEW!)
Enhanced step part fade and highlight behaviour #710 (NEW!)
Display model step supports part lines #704 (NEW!)
Model load status available from file menu action #698 (NEW!)
Enhanced Blender LDraw model render, import, and export integration #416 (NEW!)
Build modification - visual editor build modification actions #633
Reset viewer assembly display menu action #652 #652
Specify viewpoint latitude and longitude angles #654 #654
LPub command snippet system #602
Expand WhatsThis help to preferences, dialogs and actions - Ctrl+F1 #618
Add shortcut to Zoom Extents - Shift+X #470
Append page step placement options #491
Bill of materials step placement options #492
Configurable Theme colors #490
Dynamically generate fade steps and/or highlight step final model step #483
Enable LEGO Digital Designer and set inventory import #506
Execute fade, highlight, and preferred renderer locally #505
Executable verification with exported SHA-512 checksum file for GitHub builds #460
Make generate pointer arrow optional when converting to steps to callout #501
Native renderer official, unofficial LDraw parts load/lookup order option #509
Set project start page and start step number for multi-document layouts #477
Build modification - BUFEXCHG replacement, modify part settings with ease #411
Double-click editor line, time-line item, part or submodel for 3D preview #441
Substitute part dialogue with part preview #280
Manage camera properties, including target, rotation and position, from 3DViewer #344
Streamline formatting and command reuse with Include File meta command #396
Add point, sun or area light to Blender rendering #413
Render wire, raised and rounded stud logo #425
Add bring-to-front and send-to-back for page items #244
Open model file with external program #420
Insert display model between steps #415
Colour picker and part lookup #427
Set PDF, PNG, JPG and BMP pixel ratio for output resolution #333
Center justify step group and callout steps #333
Page items bring to front and send to back #244
Add, remove, edit substitute part from PLI context menu #244
Automatically load LDCad generated flex parts #272
Configurable LEGO style CSI, PLI and BOM annotation formatting #186 #187
Step and range dividers with configurable pointer arrows #185
Render configurable POV-Ray generated images #207
Continuous submodel step numbering #179
Generate Sortable HTML part list with element ID #196
OBJ, 3DS, STL, DAE, CSV and BrickLink XML exports #188 #195
Show submodel image at first step
Pre-bundled LSynth bendable part elements. Add to archive and, optionally, extract to LDraw folder
Pre-bundled and fully integrated LDraw part libraries for LEGO, TENTE and VEXIQ models
Continuous page processing - step through your model with one click
Go Dark - Dark mode theme, switch on the fly
Multi-segment page, divider and callout pointers
Enhanced “True” previous step part fade
Current step silhouette part highlight
Scene horizontal and vertical ruler and axis guides
Console commands - enabling “Batch” mode
“Headless” mode on Linux, macOS and Windows platforms
“Native” POV file generation powered by LDView
Integrated 3D viewer and image renderer powered by LeoCAD
Integrated and custom adapted image renderers (LDGlite, LDView and LPub3D-Trace (POV-Ray)) - no more additional installs
Renderer config files accessible from the LPub3D user interface
Custom LDraw library LDConfig (part material) file can be passed to LDGlite and LDView renderers
Set ROTSTEP (step rotation) meta using 3D Viewer
Fade previous step’s parts (Fade step)
Unlimited part list (PLI) annotations
Split the BOM (divide parts over number of BOM occurrences)
Sort PLI/BOM by part size, colour and category
“Go To” page navigation and submodel display via drop-down dialogue
Automatically generate formatted cover pages
POV-Ray high-quality rendered instructions
LGEO high-quality rendering library support and auto detection
Customizable content page header and footer
Text and picture (e.g. logo) front and back page attributes
Print/Export preview
PDF, PNG, JPG and BMP export formats
Standard and custom page size options
On demand, software and LDraw archive library updates
All features from legacy LPub - enhanced and stabilized
Linux, Linux AppImage, macOS and Microsoft Windows distributions
Windows automated installer and portable distributions available
Full capabilities to build and package from source or Cloud Continuous Integration Service
Automated build and deploy from Cloud CI Service: GitHub Actions and Open Build Service
Docker container builds using Docker Compose available for Arch, Ubuntu and Fedora Linux distros

Portions of LPub3D are based on LPUB© 2007-2009 Kevin Clague, LeoCAD© 2024 Leonardo Zide, LDView© 2024 Travis Cobbs & Peter Bartfai and additional third party components. See Credits for full details on contributing content.